Editors’ Choice #1 in Booster Car Seats

Graco virtually dominates the car seat category of AllReviews, surpassing other models that sell for more money. Consumer Reports, the NHTSA and parents of toddlers consistently rank various Graco car seat models as the safest and most comfortable on the market. The popular TurboBooster Car Seat — available in both highback and backless models — is no exception.

For added safety, a highback booster is the way to go, but a backless booster gives you easy transportability for use in multiple cars or for airline travel, when you’ll need a booster seat at your destination. The Highback TurboBooster car seat easily transforms into a backless model, giving you convenience and a booster seat that changes with your child’s needs.

With a retail price around $80, it’s not the least expensive booster seat on the market, but it’s not the priciest, either. The fact that it converts from a highback to a backless booster adds to its value.

The TurboBooster is available in a variety of color schemes to fit any child’s tastes or your car’s interior colors. Children love features like the hideway cupholder, adjustable armrests and comfy padding.

It’s worth noting that although the seat fits children from 30 to 100 lbs., three years and up, it’s safest to keep children under 4 years old in a five-point harness. In many states, it’s the law.

It’s also best to keep children of any age in a five-point harness until they weigh 65 lbs., and many convertible and combination car seats on the market permit you to do exactly that.

The Graco TurboBooster is a belt-positioning booster seat only, designed to help a safety belt fit a smaller person better. In this area, the TurboBooster excels, making it our number one pick for both highback and backless car booster seats for children.

Our Sources

1. ToysRUs.com
   The Toys R Us website offers 30 consumer reviews and a video showcasing the TurboBooster’s best features. The booster seat achieved an average rating of four stars, including some five-star ratings from medical professionals who are also parents.
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2. Amazon.com
   With an average of four-and-a-half stars out of 203 reviews on Amazon.com, the Graco TurboBooster is the most highly-acclaimed booster seat available through Amazon. Reviewers called the seat “easy to use,” “comfortable,” “safe.”
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3. ConsumerReports.com
   The Graco TurboBooster received a high rating from Consumer Reports, earning 82 points. The backless version of the seat, which sells for about $25, got 92 points, with “excellent” ratings across the board. Parent reviewers on the website mentioned that they liked that the highback TurboBooster makes it easy for kids to get themselves strapped in, and that they like the cupholders, which can also hold crayons or small toys.
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Ranked #2 in Booster Car Seats

Provide safety as well as comfort as well as all around fun for your child with the Evenflo Big Kid DLX. With its added cushioning in the head and body, you can ensure a snug ride, plus the one hand, full body height adjustment lets the seat grow with your child, and is recommended for children from 30 to 100 pounds. Side impact tested, you can be sure this seat can protect and cushion in the unlikely event of an accident.

Kids will love the dual activity lights included with the seat, and can be used during evening trips, plus, the dual cup holders and pivoting armrests add more convenience, since your child can store various things, not just drinks.

The back of the Evenflo Big Kid DLX is removable and the seat becomes a no back booster for when your little one feels enough like a ‘big kid’ to be able to use it as such. Parents recommend this seat for its versatility, and the easy-wash feature of the seat pad along with its sturdiness. An overall A+.

Ranked #3 in Booster Car Seats

This is safety at an affordable price. The Graco Nautilus is versatile, secure and lasts through early childhood as a 3-in-1 car seat that starts out as forward-facing with a five-point harness (for 20 to 65 pounds), then easily converts to a high-back booster (for 30 to 100 pounds) and finally becoming a backless booster for children from 40 to 100 pounds in weight. A steel reinforced frame guarantees durability and protection for longer. EPS energy-absorbing foam provides additional security and when it comes to comfort, the adjustable head support, cushioned seat and wide armrests keep your child nice and snug.

Handy features include the cup holder and side storage for snacks and toys so your child can keep themselves fed and entertained. Car trips won’t be boring any more with Graco. Built specifically for your peace of mind, this car seat meets and exceeds safety standards, thanks to extensive crash testing.

Parents are pleased with the seat, praising its design and structure, but some feel that the size isn’t large enough for holding a child nearing the weight limit, but for everything else, the Nautilus a great choice.

Ranked #4 in Booster Car Seats

Safety 1st offers protection and convenience from the inside of your vehicle, with its two uses as a harnessed booster front-facing for 22 to 40 pounds and a belt-positioning booster from 40 to 100 pounds. Get your child into their comfiest position, as this seat can be used upright or reclined, plus keep them safely strapped in with the five-point harness that includes up front adjustment, along with five-position adjustable belt guides and the two-position adjustable headrest to provide maximum comfort.

For additional convenience the Safety 1st Vantage High Back Booster includes removable cup holders, one on each side of the seat, covered snack holders and a mesh storage pocket for toys or other bits and bobs needed for a long car trip.

As for the buyers, most love the seat for all it provides, however there is one reviewer that mentions a danger with this seat, claiming it loosens enough to compromise the child’s safety, and upon receiving two more of the same seats, similar problems arose. However, this car seat has received many favourable ratings from the rest of the buyers.

Ranked #5 in Booster Car Seats

A unique belt-positioning booster, the Cosco Protek features a seven-position adjustable headrest and molded-in compartments with a cup holder in the base, padded armrests and removable pillow to ensure your child’s comfort during long trips. The Protek conveniently converts to a backless booster seat for when your baby turns into a big kid, and can accommodate children of up to 100 pounds in weight, and of a height up to almost five feet. seat grows with your child and is made to last through early childhood, making for a great money-saver.

Another Cosco Protek feature is the molded-in belt-positioning guides which are located on both sides of the seat, meaning it’s not latch required, which also means that installation is simpler, great if you frequently move between cars. The cover removes easily and is machine washable, which just adds to the convenience. Reviewers say their children love this seat, and find it comfortable as well as easy to move.

Ranked #6 in Booster Car Seats

The Parkway Slide Guard is another of Britax’s thoughtful designs to protect and comfortably accommodate your smallest when you have to keep your eyes on the road. As well as providing safety, this booster seat also offers posture support for children during car trips, and True Side Impact protection which distributes crash forces and shields your child from vehicle intrusion, all while maintaining the head, neck and spine aligned to prevent injury. A slide guard (SecureGuard system) works with the safety belt to ensure no slippage from under the lap belt and the EPS foam lining is energy absorbent further protecting the little one from harm.

Adaptable and easy to use, the Parkway Slide Guard booster seat features a simple, color-coded safety belt guides to indicate the path and position of the safety belt itself, allowing you to safely secure your child for every journey. The removable back converts this car seat into a higher, forward-facing, belt-positioning booster seat with a capacity for older children weighing up to 120 pounds, while conserving the SecureGuard system. This seat is great for larger families or compact cars where more than one seat needs to be fitted, as the Parkway Slide Guard includes a narrow footprint that lets you it three seats in the back seats. Plus, with armrests and retractable, dual cup-holders you can expect a pleasant journey.

For the most part, buyers think this seat is well thought out and cleverly designed, however there can be some improvements for the slide guard and the armrests. Reviewers on Amazon.com mention that the slide guard can be a little tricky and uncomfortable for the child but to solve this, there is an option to remove it. Regarding the armrests, they aren’t adjustable and some say they’re not long enough, but this is a minor point as the seat has been given great ratings so far.

Ranked #7 in Booster Car Seats

Backless, but by no means less safe, the Graco TurboBooster, your child will feel like a big kid when riding in this seat, being able to look out the window and enjoy car trips to the fullest. This model features padded, height-adjustable arm rests and hide-away cup holders on either side of the seat for storing drinks, snacks and toys to make long journeys seem shorter.

The deluxe seat pad included (which comes in four fun patterns) is comfortable and can be easily removed for machine washing, great if your kid is of the messy type (the majority are), so cleaning won’t be a problem. It’s also lightweight and easy to buckled, with an adjuster strap that attaches to a tether on each side of the seat.

Forward facing only, the TurboBooster is designed for children from ages 4 to 10, from 40 to 100 pounds, with a height limit of almost five feet.

Now some of the cons. The armrests don’t flip up like in other brands which makes it a bit harder for the child to reach over and buckle themselves in, also the cup holders, though extremely handy having them on each side of the seat, seem a little shallow. But what’s most important is the safety and comfort the seat provides, and these negatives are minor.

Ranked #8 in Booster Car Seats

Make your little one feel like a ‘big kid’ in the sturdy and stylish Britax Frontier. It features true impact side protection for an advanced security, distributing impact forces and shielding from vehicle intrusion, while protecting the head and body from serious injury. TO complement this feature, there’s a high 5-point harness seat capacity which allows your child to remain safely strapped in up to 85 pounds of weight, and in booster mode 120 pounds. This harness is quickly adjusted no re-thread needed and no disassembly either while adjusting. It has up to 10 height positions and 3 buckle positions for a very secure fit that adapts to your child’s growth.

The patented versa-tether is also included to anchor the top of the seat at two points to limit forward movement in the event of a crash. The base is designed to absorb impact forces and the foam lining provides extra support while the HUGS system (Harness Ultra Guard) reduces forward head movement for increased protection. Easy to install, the Frontier is compatible with most current vehicles, with a simple push-button system that makes it a cinch to install or remove the seat.

A great seat for tall toddlers, the Britax Frontier has indeed proved worthy, earning a 4.5 star rating on Amazon.com. Parents love how it’s easy to adjust and snug with enough space for their child, as well as providing the safety necessary for car trips. A highly recommended product, this booster car seat is of solid construction, so you can put your mind at ease as soon as you get behind the wheel.

Editors’ Choice #1 in Baby Car Seats

The infant car seat of choice for this AllReviews editor, the Graco SnugRide 32 is a stylish, reasonably priced, easy-to-install, safe car seat that is also the first choice of many parents. The separate SnugRide base makes this car seat easy to move between different vehicles — simply buy an additional base for about $60. You can also install the seat without the base.

Similar car seats are also available that fit infants up to 22 lbs. (the original SnugRide) or up to 35 lbs. (The Snug Ride 35). Each of these seats represents an excellent value. Consumer reviewers complained about the weight and size of both the SnugRide 32 and the new SnugRide 35, a trade-off to keep baby rear-facing longer. As a parent who owns the original, lighter SnugRide, I can say that any car seat with an infant in it is going to feel heavy after a while.

If you’re wondering whether you should go for the SnugRide 32 or the SnugRide 35, keep this statistic from Amazon.com in mind: “The SnugRide 32 fits 97% of one year-olds to keep your child rear-facing for one full year.” For most babies, a 32 lb. rear-facing weight limit will last well over the one-year mark, keeping the baby in that pediatrician-recommended riding position even longer.

The car seat is available in a variety of gender-neutral patterns as well as styles designed specifically for little boys or little girls, and fits the popular Graco Travel Systems. It will also fit most universal car seat carriers and full-size strollers designed to fit infant car seats. There are many reasons why the Graco SnugRide is such a popular model of infant car seat and is our choice for number one here at AllReviews.com.

Our Sources

1. ToysRUs.com
   An in-depth article at the Toys R Us website showcases the infant car seat’s various features, including the five-point harness, plush interior and the easy-to-install LATCH-equipped base.

   Consumer reviewers sited a number of benefits to this car seat: safe, durable, stylish, easy-to-install and comfortable.
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2. Amazon.com
   Thirty-six out of 54 Amazon consumer reviewers gave this car seat four or five stars. Parents liked the front-adjusting belt, the sunshade, the wide variety of designs available, and the durability. Many parents said it looks like it would protect baby well in the event of an accident.
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3. ConsumerReports.org
   The Graco SnugRide 32 achieved a 55-out-of-100 rating at Consumer Reports, only three points behind the top-rated CR model. The infant car seat has ranked consistently high since it was introduced. It achieved good or fair ratings in all categories and four stars from consumer reviewers at the CR website.
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Ranked #2 in Baby Car Seats

One of the top rated car seats for safety and easy usage, the Graco SnugRide guarantees a trouble-free journey for your child. With a five-point front adjustable harness with 2 piece chest clip, you can ensure your baby’s safety as well as being able to buckle and unbuckle it easily. Some customers expressed that the buckle actually felt quite stiff, but were overall impressed with the safety the seat provides.

The Graco SnugRide is rear-facing only which is basically the safest position a child can be in, and can handle a weight of 5 to 22 pounds and includes a convenient stay-in-car adjustable base with an easy-to-read level indicator for correct installation.

Another great characteristic the Graco SnugRide has is an adjustable canopy with visor and window that lets you check on your child in a rather ‘peek-a-boo’ fashion. An ergonomic handle allows for easy transportation and the seat itself is filled with GracoPedic Luxury Foam that molds to the child’s body for extra comfort and energy absorption.

One key feature that is important for the first few weeks of the child’s life, is the double infant support cushion to prop up the baby’s head more efficiently, unlike other car seats with single head supports.